(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-165DJ-16B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War-era store card from Marsh & Miner, a Cincinnati, Ohio business. Cincinnati's position as a Union Army supply center and Ohio River trade hub made it a prolific source of Civil War tokens. John Stanton and other die sinkers based in the city produced dies for merchants across the Midwest. Marsh & Miner produced 35 cataloged die varieties, reflecting a substantial token operation. The brass composition of this variety (Fuld 165DJ-16B) is common to somewhat scarce for this merchant. Most Civil War store cards carry no date; this token was struck during the 1862-1864 coin shortage era. Die sinkers produced these tokens on hand-operated screw presses, often filling orders for multiple merchants simultaneously. The hoarding of federal coinage created an acute shortage of small change, prompting thousands of merchants to issue tokens as practical substitutes. Brass was the second most common planchet material after copper, giving tokens a golden appearance.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 35 cataloged varieties, Marsh & Miner was a moderately active token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 165DJ-16B